This week we witnessed a travesty. A father, a husband, a man who stood for what he believed in was assassinated in front of his family for expressing controversial opinions.
As a father, a husband, and a man who also holds views that aren’t always popular, I can’t stay silent.
I was raised in a multicultural home. My mom is a Danish immigrant who came to America for better opportunities. My dad grew up in Texas with seven siblings, a stay-at-home mom, and an alcoholic father. They were poor, but they fought their way up and built a life for my brother and me that they never had themselves. They’re living examples of the American dream.
From them, I learned to help others. To judge people not by color, religion, or sexuality, but by their actions. To hear ideas I might not agree with, take what’s useful, and build my own foundation. To stand firm in my beliefs even when it hurts.
On paper, I’ve got advantages. I’m a white male in America. But I’ve also lived in other cultures. I’ve made friends with Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, atheists, and people of every background and orientation. I don’t agree with all of them, but I respect their right to be who they are. Respect doesn’t require agreement. It requires humility.
What happened this week goes against everything I believe. It’s an attack on the very freedom that sets America apart from places I’ve lived. And the truth is, the last few years have shown how fragile that freedom has become.
In 2021 I watched society split into two camps: those who shouted “trust the science” and those who dared to ask questions. Debate turned into name-calling. Curiosity turned into heresy. I got attacked just for asking questions. Like many others, I chose silence to avoid confrontation.
But Charlie’s death is a wake-up call.
I didn’t agree with everything Charlie said. I don’t even agree with everything my wife says. But disagreement doesn’t strip someone of the right to speak. And it sure as hell doesn’t justify silencing them forever.
Charlie’s legacy is this: silence isn’t an option. Speaking the truth isn’t just a right, it’s a responsibility. If we don’t speak, don’t debate, don’t listen, we trap ourselves in echo chambers where progress dies.
I worry about the world my daughter will inherit. I don’t want her growing up in a society where people are afraid to ask questions. Where mobs decide what can and can’t be said. Where courage gets punished instead of rewarded.
The world needs people like Charlie. People unafraid to spark debate, to force us to wrestle with ideas, to push us to grow. If we stay silent, we lose that sharpening. We lose progress.
So here’s my call to myself, and to you:
Speak your truth. Live your truth.
Don’t be ashamed of it. Respect others enough to listen, and be bold enough to share. Because without that exchange, there’s no progress.
FIELD TIP
Next time you’re moving through the woods, take ten steps, then stop and wait for thirty seconds. It slows you down, but you’ll notice more. You’ll hear the woods breathe. You’ll see movement you’d otherwise miss.
This rhythm imitates the way animals move. Even when you’re just headed to the stand, don’t charge in. Walk like a deer or a turkey, pausing, listening, scanning.
You never know what you might walk up on.
MINDSET: Reps of Courage
Speaking your truth works like training in the gym. Strength isn’t built in one heavy lift, it’s built in reps over time. Courage works the same way.
Start small. Share one belief this week, even if it’s just with a friend or family member. Next week, do it again. Over time, you’ll build the muscle of courage just like you build muscle under a barbell.
The goal isn’t to win every debate. The goal is to show up consistently and speak with honesty. That steady rhythm strengthens you, sharpens others, and creates the kind of progress silence never will.
And don’t be afraid to change your beliefs based on the feedback you receive.
In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.
-George Orwell
Are you sharpening the people around you by speaking honestly, or dulling both sides by staying quiet?
